Another reason for Aussie cycling fans to celebrate as Mitchelton-Scott’s Simon Yates put a disappointing Giro d’Italia campaign behind him by winning the 12th stage with the main contenders quiet in the first Pyrenean climb.

“Normally I’d be back in the peloton helping Adam, but today I had my own chance and I grabbed it with both hands.

“I wasn’t very confident of beating either of them, but I just knew from the directors in the car that I needed to be in front coming around the last corner, so I made sure to do that and luckily I held on to win.”

Simon Yates crosses the line to take the stage 12 winSource:Getty Images

Yates’ triumph comes after Daryl Impey’s emotional victory on Stage 9 of what has so-far been a tremendous Tour for the Australian team.

“My main priority here is to help Adam. Today was one of my chances to get up the road,” Yates said.

“We’re having a fantastic Tour, and long may it continue.”

The climber was hugged by ecstatic owner Gerry Ryan, who only arrived at the race hours before the start of the stage.

“To arrive on day one and to see how he won it, it’s like Daryl the other day, it’s not only a great ride, but the strategy played out perfectly,” Ryan said.

“We go every third year we have a good one. We’ve had two stage wins and there’s more to come and hopefully I can be celebrating in Paris.”

The peloton averaged a searing 52kmh over the first 40 minutes of the stage as a stack of riders fought to get in a breakaway most thought would stick.

Aussie Simon Clarke was in it before launching a bold bid for solo glory 60km out at the top of the Col de Peyresourde.

It was a terrific victory for Yates and Aussie team Mitchelton ScottSource:AFP

He established a one-minute advantage, but was soon reeled in.

“I’m never going to be able to hold Simon Yates on a 12km climb so although it might have been questionable to go so early, with myself and (teammate) Alberto Bettiol in the group it was no use sitting back and waiting to get smashed by the climbers,” Clarke said.

“One of us had to gamble. I thought i’d have a crack… you never know if you don’t try. “

But the general classification hunters kept their powder dry on the first high-mountain day of the Tour, with a long descent to the finish and Friday’s individual time trial discouraging any attacks.

Richie Porte cruised home with the main group.

“There were a lot of guys who didn’t want to have too hard a day with the time trial tomorrow,” Porte said.

“I was pretty happy with that. There’s such a long downhill to the finish, there wasn’t much to gain.”

Aussie sprinter Caleb Ewan survived in hostile terrain, looking like he’d done a full day landscaping after crashing.

“I crashed into a ditch, but other than that it was all good,” Ewan laughed.

“It was on the first big descent, it was quite fast and there was a hairpin and I didn’t know it was coming.”